When the inimitable Trimpin visits The High Bar he shares his love of schnapps, exhibits his gift for compositional improv and validates Warren’s tone-deaf shower-singing. Most of all, Trimpin raises a toast to and the bar for… music appreciation. Cheers!

(Shot on location in The Back Bar at Bastille in Seattle, WA. Thanks to Deming, Jason and James.)

UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US lets the convicted crooner, Vikernes, lyricize about his political leanings and musical ambitions. Documentarians Aaron Aites and Audrey Ewell also check in with his foes, friends and fellow rockers for both perspective and the saner side of the black metal movement. Commendably, the film foregoes shock value in favor of fair-minded story-telling and surprising portraits of the major players in the case.

I am so glad I had the opportunity to talk with Aaron and Audrey when they were in Seattle this summer. Eavesdrop on my conversation with them here. And, if you’d like to reach your own verdict about Varg Vikernes, you can see UNTIL THE LIGHT TAKES US this Sunday (at 6:30pm) at the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival.

**Now, The Warren Report is ready to send you to see ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL this week. 25 readers will receive a run-of-engagement pass (good for two!) to see the movie by providing the smartest and/or funniest responses to this question: What did you do when you were younger that you would be thrilled for an audience to see today yet shocked that they had actually paid for the privilege?**

Entries must be posted on this blog by 10am on Monday, May 11th, 2009. Winners will be determined in accordance with  my wit and whim. (Please be sure to include your e-address.)

For more information about ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL, please read the studio-approved synopsis below. 

At 14, Toronto school friends Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to rock together forever. They meant it.

Their band, Anvil, went on to become the “demigods of Canadian metal,” releasing one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982′s Metal on Metal. The album influenced a musical generation, including Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, that went on to sell millions of records. But Anvil’s career took a different path – straight to obscurity.

Director Sacha Gervasi has concocted a wonderful and often hilarious account of Anvil’s last-ditch quest for elusive fame and fortune. His ingenious filmmaking may first lead you to think this a mockumentary, but it isn’t. Gervasi joined the legendary heavy-metal band as a roadie for a tour of Canadian hockey arenas, so he has intimate insight into the members’ eccentricities. It’s fascinating to see the reality of their day-to-day lives as they struggle to make ends meet, take a misguided European tour, and engage in antics on the road – which is not always lined with fans. Gervasi even finds a softer center to this raucous film, introducing us to band members’ ever-supportive, but long-suffering, families.

At its core, ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL is a timeless tale of survival and the unadulterated passion it takes to follow your dream, year after year. Anvil rocks – it has no other choice.”

THIS IS THE LIFE has won several awards on the festival circuit and can now beseen on Showtime and ordered on dvd.

Many thanks to the indispensable Spencer F!

NERDCORE FOR LIFE is presented as part of the ongoing STIFF Nights series.

Two of the 21st century’s most powerful social forces; Hip-Hop and Geek Culture, collide head-on in the feature length documentary, NERDCORE FOR LIFE. Born on the Internet, Nerdcore is rap music made by geeks, for geeks and covers such traditionally nerdy topics as comic books, video games, anime, sci-fi, astrophysics and technology. Filmed over the course of two years, NERDCORE FOR LIFE follows the top names in this new genre as they celebrate ‘geek life’ and their love of Hip-Hop to the fullest, fight anti-nerd stereotypes and struggle to overcome the common obstacles that prevent musicians of all genres from fulfilling their dreams.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohR-9ugs9V0

SLEEPWALKING THROUGH THE MEKONG follows Los Angeles based band Dengue Fever on their recent journey to Cambodia to perform 60s and 70s Cambodian rock n’ roll in the country where it was created and very nearly destroyed. The odyssey is a homecoming for singer Chhom Nimol and a transformation for the rest of the band as they perform with master musicians and record new songs along the way.

Along with the free screening, there will be FREE Izze Soda and FREE popcorn at the Snack Bar. It’s all ages. We just got word that band members will be on hand at the event as well. For more information, click here.

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JBL Theater @ EMP, 325 5th Ave N (at Seattle Center), SEATTLE

Many thanks to the magnificent Bartoks!

Winner: AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST FEATURE FILM – Nantucket Film Festival

Winner: AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY — Sarasota Film Festival

Winner: AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY — Palm Beach Int’l Film Festival

http://www.ofallthethingsmovie.com/

“A thoroughly engaging doc with enough appeal to reach beyond its presumptive target aud of nostalgic baby boomers… an affectionate portrait of a beloved parent and a celebration of contributions by an unsung hero of pop culture.” — VARIETY

“This is a real human drama about an ordinary guy rising above his own fears to shine in the spotlight again, and it’s at once touching and compelling to watch.” — CINEMATICAL

“It’s all terribly engrossing as we’re along for the ride with Dennis Lambert‘s big comeback tour.” — FILM THREAT FOUR STAR REVIEW ****

The most unique comeback story of the year.  Dennis Lambert was one of the most successful and diverse songwriter/producers of the ‘70s and ‘80s, with hits like “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)”, “Rhinestone Cowboy”, “Don’t Pull Your Love”, “Baby Come Back” and “Nightshift”.  He had chart-toppers in almost every genre of music — at one point four of his songs were simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, a feat previously accomplished only by The Beatles.  That was then.  Today, he’s a 60-year-old family man selling real estate in Florida. But it turns out his obscure 1972 solo album is huge… in the Philippines. A Filipino concert promoter has been begging Dennis to come tour for decades, and in 2007 he finally agreed.  OF ALL THE THINGS is a hilarious and touching pop/rock/country/R&B documentary that follows Dennis on his whirlwind tour as he rediscovers his passion for music — a two-week adventure that takes him from the comforts of Boca Raton to a sold-out show at Manila’s famous Araneta Coliseum for thousands of fans he never knew he had. Some lives deserve an encore.

SPONSOR

Harbinger Winery